Subject: Novell is trying to Sell a derivative of Linux for a big PROFIT.$$$
From: [email-masked] (William Devine)
Date: Mon, 25 Apr 1994 05:36:18 GMT
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.help,comp.os.linux.admin,comp.os.linux.announce

Here is an announcement from novell.  Followed by A rebuke letter for
anyone interested in emailing novell to gripe about it.
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Novell Brewing a New 32-Bit GUI Environment (PC Week)
>From PC Week for April 25, 1994 by PC Week Staff

Novell Inc. is developing a low-cost, 32-bit multitasking operating
environment based on a "freeware" version of Unix that sources said will
run Windows, DOS, NetWare, and Unix applications.

Novell is expected to demonstrate the software -- which it is developing
under tight security at an off-site warehouse -- to a few select users
at next week's NetWorld+Interop trade show, said sources close to the
Provo, Utah, company.

The new system, code-named Expose, is not a derivative of Novell's own
UnixWare; it is based on Linux, a full-featured Unix clone for PCs that
is distributed under a free GNU Public License, sources said. Linux 1.0,
which shipped in March, runs on 386- and 486-based ISA and EISA
computers.

Expose will be based on a graphical X Window System environment called
Looking Glass, which Novell licensed from Visix Software Inc., of
Reston, Va. It is expected to use an advanced 3-D desktop metaphor to
allow users to easily navigate through it, sources said.

Expose "is not as much an applications environment as it is a front end
to many environments, [including] NetWare, Unix, and Windows
applications," said a source who has been briefed on the project. Users
also will be able to run Expose as a front end to the Internet, possibly
through the Mosaic GUI, sources said.

However, one source said development is in the early stages, and given
Novell's track record, the project could be abandoned if it does not
show strong promise.

Another source said Novell has already demonstrated Microsoft Corp.'s
Office suite of Windows applications running on Expose. The source
claimed the applications were running without a Windows emulator, even
though Linux does not fully support Windows applications.

Novell's goal, sources said, is to quickly bring to market a graphical
operating environment that would give PC users a lower-cost alternative
to Windows. The environment would likely be priced below UnixWare's $249
price and possibly even lower than the $149.95 retail price asked for
Windows.

"Ray [Noorda] would give it away if he could," said a source
knowledgeable about the project.

The GNU license allows developers to use and modify the Linux code and
sell it for any price the market will bear -- with the caveat that they
must also distribute the Linux source code with their derivative
products.

Some corporate NetWare users questioned the sagacity of Novell
developing yet another graphical 32-bit operating system. "I'd hate to
see them spend a whole lot of research resources on one more operating
system," said Jim Queen, director of enterprise networking for Enron
Corp., a Houston-based energy company with a large NetWare network. "If
they have a vision for this thing, they'd better share it."

Another IS manager said he is still trying to get his company's current
set of desktop operating systems to work together on a LAN. But although
he doesn't want to deal with yet another contender, "I'll keep an open
mind," said Lee Roth, LAN manager for Dallas-based Southwest Airlines
Co. "If [Expose] gives me some new functionality, I'll consider it."

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To whom it may concern,

	I read an article sent to me by a friend who saw the add posted
in either usenet of some local newsgroup.  It mentions a project of yours 
called 'Expose'.  The article is included after this for you to ensure it 
is the correct one i am mentioning.

	The article says that Novell is developing a derivative of the 
Linux operating system that will run Windows, DOS, Netware, and other Unix 
applications.  It also states explicity that: 

	"The new system, code-named Expose, is not a derivative of Novell's 
	 own UnixWare; it is based on Linux, a full-featured Unix clone for 
 	 PCs that is distributed under a free GNU Public License, sources 
	 said. Linux 1.0, which shipped in March, runs on 386- and 486-based 
	 ISA and EISA computers."

	It goes on to extoll the virtues of project Expose and then it 
mentions the most disturbing part of the article: Namely, that Novell is 
planning on SELLING this software package for a 'good sum of money' to the
general public.  'Good sum of money' being in reference to the cost of other 
software covered under the GNU General Public License of which any and ALL 
derivatives of ANY GPL covered software is part of.

	I urge you to fully understand what this means.  The GPL EXPLICITLY
states, and i quote:

"2. You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion
of it, thus forming a work based on the Program, and copy and
distribute such modifications or work under the terms of Section 1
above, provided that you also meet all of these conditions:

    a) You must cause the modified files to carry prominent notices
    stating that you changed the files and the date of any change.

    b) You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that in
    whole or in part contains or is derived from the Program or any
    part thereof, to be licensed as a whole at no charge to all third
    parties under the terms of this License."
[prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/COPYING]

"The GPL also allows people to take and modify free software, and 
 distribute their own versions of the software.  however, any derived 
 works from GPL software MUST also be covered by the GPL.  In other 
 words, a company COULD NOT take Linux, modify it, and SELL it under
 a restrictive license. If any software is derived from Linux, that 
 software MUST be covered by the GPL as well." 
[Page 16, tsx-11.mit.edu:/pub/Linux/docs/LDP/install-guide-2.0.ps.gz]

	As you see, this states that no entity, be it personal or a business,
may modify ANY software released and covered under the GPL and resale it
for a profit ON the software.  Profit on the DISTRIBUTION of said software
is not illegal, but if you sell one copy of the software to anyone and you
MUST make ALL source code available that is derived from the GPL covered
software (of which Linux IS GPL covered software), that person is within
their legal right to FREELY distribute said software to anyone and everyone
he desires.  

	The idea of the GPL was to make software copyrightable and freely 
distributable at the same time to ensure that a large amount of excellent and 
useful software was available to the world.  There are software packages 
covered by the GPL for unix, dos, windows and other operating systems.  
Gnuplot has been ported to Windows and is an excellent graphics program.  
Gzip and Gunzip have been ported to Dos along with GnuTar and they are 
excellent software programs.  Expose sounds to be a VERY promising software 
package, BUT according to the announcement, it will be sold for a profit ON 
the software, not on the DISTRIBUTION of the software.

	I just want to go on the record to say that if you are going to
be selling this Expose software package for a profit and you have derived
a very large portion of it from the publicly available GPL covered
Linux operating system developed in large by Linus Torvalds, that you will
be doing so against the Legal license it was released under.  Especially
since the Linux OS has been developed and refined and fine tuned by a large
amount of Programmers and especially Linus who has spent ungodly amounts of
time improving this os and not making a profit off of it, not even making
practically ANYTHING from it.  It would be a sin for anyone to make any
money from others efforts in my eyes and the eyes of everyone else who
knows about Linus and his efforts.

Sincerely,

William C Devine, II
The Electrical Diralect, PAX
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